Monday, April 24, 2017

In Captain Marvel Adventures #104 (published November 2, 1949), we have what Billy Batson describes as Captain Marvel's greatest adventure! It is the story of Captain Marvel and the Space Dragon!The adventure begins with Captain Marvel sending a criminal, Bozo Smith, to jail. Bozo repents and reforms after realizing crime doesn't pay. Bozo uses his time wisely and begins a serious study in astronomy. Bozo's studies catch Captain Marvel's attention, so Cap sends him a gift to help him in his studies. (This really shows Cap's character - he shows no ill will towards criminals and will help them get a new start in life!)

While it seems like Bozo has truly changed his ways, Billy suddenly gets an urgent appeal from the jail for Captain Marvel to visit Bozo as soon as possible as he's been sent to the violent ward of the prison. Has Bozo been clowning around about his reformation? Billy transforms to Captain Marvel who quickly makes his way to visit Bozo in prison. Cap says, "Bozo has been trying hard to make a new start! The least I can do is to help him!"

Captain Marvel meets with Bozo who informs him that the earth is in imminent danger - it will be eaten alive if action isn't taken soon! "Holy Moley! Poor Bozo is as nutty as a squirrel's nest!" is Captain Marvels reaction to the news! But upon reviewing Bozo's research, Cap confirms that the convicts theory is correct. Bozo has determined that a planet sized egg containing a monster has entered our solar system! Once the egg hatches, the monster that emerges may destroy the world.

To get definitive proof of Bozo's theory, Cap flies into space and to his horror he soon learns Bozo was 100% accurate. The planet-sized egg hatches a space dragon! Cap notices the space dragon eat a passing meteor, and then the dragon attempts to eat him! As the space dragon makes his way towards earth, Captain Marvel swiftly gathers a batch of meteors and feeds them to the dragon to fill his stomach while Cap can take action to defeat him.

The greatest scientific minds gather to discuss the menace of the space dragon, Bozo Smith is among them. Bozo opines it will take atomic rockets to destroy the space dragon, so Cap goes to work gathering the rockets and setting up a plan to defeat the dragon. Captain Marvel gives the launch command and the stockpile of rockets make a direct hit on the space dragon. Though the bombs burst in air, we see the dragon's red glare as he was unharmed by the barrage. The dragon has even caught one of the atomic rockets and slings it towards earth! It's the last atomic rocket and now it's hurtling towards earth! Captain Marvel grabs the rocket, and "disregarding his own safety, Captain Marvel dives headlong into the jaws of the titanic monster!" Cap sets off the atomic rocket inside the dragon, finally destroying it. Cap then hurls the dragon into the Sun for cremation.

At the end of the story we find Bozo Smith, former convict, has now been appointed as a professor of Interspatial Physics at the University. Professor Smith informs us that we are no longer in any danger of any more space dragons!

I enjoyed this story and it's one of my favorites. Not only is it an entertaining adventure, it also shows us a new depth of Captain Marvel's character. He befriends the very man he put in jail, encourages his reformation, and takes action to help him when no one else would. Another aspect of this story that I noticed is that it's very similar to an episode of British sci-fi show Doctor Who. In the episode titled "Kill the Moon" (episode 7 of season 8 and first aired on October 4, 2014), Doctor Who determines the earth's moon is actually an egg that is about to hatch, and if it does, the effects on earth will be cataclysmic! I won't go into all that happens, but I wonder if the writers at Doctor Who had read Captain Marvel Adventures #104 and came up with their story?!?! The Doctor Who/Captain Marvel connection also makes me enjoy this story even more! Captain Marvel and the Space Dragon truly is a great adventure and a great story of redemption and self-less heroism. No wonder it's one of my favorite Captain Marvel adventures!

Sunday, April 16, 2017

The Captain Marvel comic of the week is Whiz Comics #22. This comic featured an awesome cover of Captain Marvel and Billy Batson and contained the following stories:"Captain Marvel and the Temple of Itzalotahui"

Golden Arrow

Spy Smasher

Lance O'Casey

Dan Dare

Doctor Voodoo

Ibis the Invincible

Please note that only the Captain Marvel story had a title. This comic was published on September 5, 1941* with a cover date of October 3. *Based on Mike's Amazing World of Comics

Monday, April 10, 2017

Whiz Comics #14 (published January 24, 1941) gives us a look at one of Captain Marvel's abilities - his ability to walk through solid objects! No, I don't mean he can crash through a wall using his tremendous strength and power, although he can do that. What I mean is he can walk through the solid object as if he were a ghost - or like smoke through a screen!In the Whiz #14, Billy Batson has been captured by Sivana and placed in a rock-walled room with no doors or windows. Billy transforms into Captain Marvel to bust his way out and then Sivana appears - passing straight through the walls like a ghost! Marvel lunges for Sivana only to have him disappear again. Captain Marvel calls upon his great wisdom to figure out what Sivana is doing.

In a matter of moments Captain Marvel has solved the knotty problem and comes walking through a solid rock wall much to the horror of Sivana! Captain Marvel begins chasing Sivana with both of them running through the walls of the underground lair.

How did Sivana and Captain Marvel do this amazing feat? At the end of the story Billy lets us in on how Captain Marvel figured it out! You see, by calculating the orbits and timing of each electron and each atom in a solid wall, he could time his own atoms to pass between those of the wall like smoke through a screen!" (Ok, folks, don't try that at home!) What took Sivana much time and calculations to figure out, took Captain Marvel only moments to think through!

Captain Marvel has great powers, but he also has some great abilities as well. Just all the more reason why he is the World's Mightiest Mortal!!!

Monday, April 3, 2017

We are introduced to Uncle Marvel in Wow Comics #18 (September 15, 1943) in the story, "Mary Marvel Meets Her Uncle Marvel!" Uncle Marvel is Uncle Dudley, who claims to be Mary Batson's 'unknown uncle from California.' We also learn from Wow Comics #35 that Uncle Dudley is the actual uncle of Freckles Marvel (Mary Dudley). Is Uncle Dudley really Mary and Billy Batson's uncle? Does he really have Shazam powers like Billy and Mary? We'll find out as we go through the story!Our story begins with Mary Batson feeling very sad and lonely, wishing she had someone she could pal around with. She is also lamenting that she has lost her good deeds ledger which she uses to record her exploits as Mary Marvel. To her surprise, in walks her 'old Uncle Dudley from California'! Mary exclaims she doesn't remember having an uncle from California and is assured that everyone has an unknown uncle from California! Though she is overjoyed to have a new relative, her doubts remain that Dudley may be an impostor so she puts him to the test by saying the magic word, "Shazam!" To her surprise, Uncle Dudley has indeed changed into Uncle Marvel!

Mary Marvel and Uncle Marvel take to flight and soon happen upon a man being robbed at gunpoint. The Marvel's quickly dispatch the ruffians, and the man offers Uncle Marvel a reward. Uncle Marvel is happy to accept the reward but is stopped by Mary. Mary tells Uncle Marvel that the Marvel's never accept rewards for their heroic fight against evil. Uncle Marvel opines that the Marvel family has been wrong for not accepting rewards and tells Mary to meet him the next day at his office in the Greeley Building.

Mary goes to the 13th floor of the Greeley Building and is surprised to find a door advertising "Shazam, Inc." Inside, Uncle Dudley explains that Shazam, Incorporated will earn money to contribute to the war drive (remember, World War II was going on when this comic was published!). Then the phone rings with Shazam, Incorporated's first customer requesting Marvel Family assistance. Mr. Charles Beckwith pleads for all the Marvel's to come protect him from an act of terrible revenge promised by Beckwith's former butler!

Mary and Uncle Dudley say, "Shazam!" and transform into their Marvel selves. Uncle Marvel tells Mary to fly on ahead and he will meet her at Beckwith's as his 'shazambago' is acting up! (While other people suffer from lumbago, Uncle Marvel suffers from shazambago which is caused by "flying around on cold, damp nights!")Mary and Uncle Marvel foil the butler's sinister plot. Although the butler escaped, they receive a $5,000 reward for Shazam, Inc. Mary soon discovers Uncle Marvel is a fraud when he says the word Shazam, Inc. but does not transform - no magic lightning strikes! Just as she's about to confront him, Uncle Marvel bolts in front of an on-coming truck to save a little boy. Knowing he's not a Marvel, Mary dashes into action and flies Uncle and the boy out of harm's way. Mary thinks to herself, "He tried to rescue that child -- at the risk of his own life! He may not be my uncle -- but he's a good man! I'll pretend he's still my uncle!"

As they arrive back at the offices of Shazam, Incorporated and transform back into their non-Marvel selves, they are unaware that the escaped butler is waiting for them! The butler ties up Mary and Uncle and gags them and lets them know he's going to kill them for ruining his plot against Beckwith. Uncle Dudley swallows the handkerchief placed in his mouth and pulls the handkerchief out of Mary's mouth, allowing her to transform into Mary Marvel and finally put an end to the bad butler!At the end of the story, Mary sums it all up in her good deeds ledger by writing, "That explains everything! Uncle Dudley found the book (her good deeds ledger) -- learned my Shazam secret - and decided to become a member of the Marvel family - the naughty old fraud! But I won't expose him -- the loveable old dear! He's doing good deeds to, in his own way! Maybe I'll see more of him!" And that's how Uncle Dudley became Uncle Marvel and a member of the Marvel Family!

We learned that Uncle Dudley has no Shazam powers. When he says "Shazam!" he simply does a quick change to become Uncle Marvel! And as far as flying is concerned, Mary was just pulling him along as she flew - he has no flying powers! (Uncle Marvel was once given Shazam powers for 24 hours - you can read about it here!)

Uncle Dudley/Marvel would be a big part in many of the Marvel Family stories and adventures throughout the rest of the golden age. As a matter of fact, it was Uncle Marvel who tricked Black Adam and brought about his defeat!! Although he's not a super hero, Uncle Marvel is a heroic and fantastic addition to the Marvel Family!!

Sunday, April 2, 2017

The Captain Marvel comic of the week is Captain Marvel Adventures #45. This comic featured the following Captain Marvel stories:"Captain Marvel and the Blood Bank Robbers!"

"Captain Marvel gets Mothered"

Chapter 24 of The Monster Society of Evil serial "The Undersea Monster Brigade"

This comic was published on March 14, 1945* with a cover date of April 1945. An interesting note is the cover of Captain Marvel Adventures #45 was incorporated into Shazam! #4 (published April 17, 1973*). Both covers were drawn by C. C. Beck!!